Giggity5313 wrote:

Gil wrote:Cancel my membership.

real men cry


brah

After winning a World Cup or the CL maybe but crying over an individual achievement is the ultimate act of the beta-male.

Congrats cr. Now start scoring & performing again pls

Did he cry in 2008? I don't remember.

Champion tears   

Nothing wrong with crying imo. I mean after all that hard work for all those years and he finally wins it.

lol Gil is just being Gil. Ignore him

Manly tears

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1601445_10152194859252164_1160446257_n.jpg

Very proud to win the Ballon d’Or for the second time, it means so much to me! I thank my teammates from Real Madrid and Portuguese National Team. It wouldn’t be possible without them.

The award might not mean much, but I am so happy my don has won.    

For those who have known him from a young age, it was a familiar sight. Cristiano Ronaldo cried tears of joy on Monday as he collected his second Ballon d'Or, but growing up in a poor part of Madeira's capital Funchal, the world's finest footballer in 2013 could often be found weeping.

Raised in the mountainous outskirts of the island's largest town in an area called Santo Antonio, Ronaldo's childhood was anything but easy. The fourth child born to Dolores and Dinis, his arrival had been unplanned. His mother, a cook, and his father, a municipal gardener who lost his long battle with alcoholism in 2005, struggled to put food on the table.

Given the name Cristiano by his mother and Ronaldo by his father after Ronald Reagan (Dinis' favourite actor and then President of the United States), the young boy soon sought distraction on the football field. And after accompanying his father to local side Andorinha, he went along as a seven-year-old to play with his cousin Nuno - and never looked back.


Francisco Afonso, a primary school teacher who was Ronaldo's first coach, was impressed from the outset. "He was something special from the start - you could see that," he told Goal. "He was small but so determined. He started as a defender but soon moved up the pitch because he wanted to be involved in everything. He was good with both feet and fast, with good technique because he never stopped practising - and he always wanted the ball. Football was everything to him and if he couldn't play, he was distraught."

Rui Alves, a childhood friend who remains close to the Real Madrid forward, says Ronaldo only ever wanted to play football. "We would go out and play all day, but Cristiano kicked his football all the time," he said. "I tried to get him to play other games, but he only ever wanted to play football. We would go to the bakery at the end of the day to wait for the cakes that hadn't been sold as a treat, but everywhere we went, he took his ball with him."

And at Andorinha, the now two-time Ballon d'Or winner soon made his mark. Ricardo, a team-mate of the Portuguese who still works at the club's bar, remembers Ronaldo's competitive streak. "He was streets ahead of the other players," he said. "You could see that, even at such a young age. But if he didn't get the ball, he was upset - and when we lost, he cried."

But so talented was the young Cristiano that in one match, he fired a hat-trick in the first half to give Andorinha a 3-0 lead at the break, only to take a blow to the head late in the opening period. He was carted off to hospital for examination at the interval and when he returned later on with his head all bandaged up, he was devastated to learn that in his absence, Andorinha had capitulated and lost 4-3.

Ronaldo's performances began to make waves on the Atlantic archipelago and he was soon snapped up by the island's biggest team, Nacional. At the age of 12, he was due to sign official terms as a youth player, but by then, many had realised that the skinny youngster was built for bigger and better things and a Madeiran magistrate named Joao Marques de Freitas got in touch with a scout at Sporting Lisbon, Aurelio Pereira, to discuss a possible trial for Ronaldo on the mainland.


"I met Ronaldo when he was 11 years old," De Freitas told Goal. "His godfather introduced me to him and told me he was a very good player. He was very, very small - very slight and fragile.

"I got in touch with the man who was in charge of Sporting’s scouting and I told him: ‘There is a kid who they say is extremely good.’ But he said: ‘That’s very young’ and he told me we couldn’t send a boy that young to Lisbon.


"So I spoke to Cristiano’s mother, who was a very humble and very poor person. And she authorised it. So we got him a return ticket to Lisbon and Cristiano went with a sign around his neck made of cardboard, with his name on it to identify himself. Mr. Aurelio was there to meet him at the other end and he spent four days in Lisbon."

Sporting's scouts were indeed impressed with the young Madeiran and a deal was soon struck. Nacional still owed Sporting €25,000 for formation of a player they had signed previously and they told the capital club that if they pardoned that debt, they could have Ronaldo for free. Nevertheless, that was still a lot of money for an 11-year-old, and the two teams vowed to keep the details of the deal a secret.


Sporting's academy is the finest in Portugal and had a knack of developing world-class wingers, like the great Luis Figo. Ronaldo's mother, a big Figo fan and Sporting supporter, was happy with the idea of seeing her son in the famous green and white and, at the age of only 12, the youngster made his move to the mainland.

Times were tough at first as the young Cristiano grew homesick and was bullied by other boys because of his thick Madeiran accent, which they found funny. "He had problems early on but he triumphed because of his very unique personality," De Freitas added. "He is a winner and he had that fearless determination from a young age.

"He was a fighter, a street kid. His father was a very unhappy person and died some years ago. So Cristiano had a very difficult childhood, but he always knew how to respond and he grew when times were tough. So when [Fifa president Sepp] Blatter made those remarks about him, he said: ‘I respond on the pitch’ - and he did. In that respect, Blatter was right. He is a commander."

Childhood friend Rui added: "People don't know him. They think they do but when you are with him he is such a kind and generous person. He doesn't come back here [to Santo Antonio] because many of these guys don't work and they ask him for money, so he stays away, but he is still the same person today.

"We are still in touch and he always has time for us," another friend - Ricardo - explained. "It's funny, when I was younger I used to watch Pauleta, who is from the Azores (another group of islands in the north Atlantic) playing for Portugal and think 'why can't we in Madeira have a player like that?' And it turns out we had one who was even better!

"For many people, Cristiano has put this island on the map and we will always be grateful for everything he has done for us."

So as the 28-year-old struggled to fight back the tears at the Ballon d'Or gala, you can bet that many in Madeira were weeping too, in nostalgia and pride for the man they saw grow from poverty as a crying child to win football's greatest individual prize for the second time on Monday.

Generally I’m not one to get swept up in these awards ceremonies, they’re usually nothing more than multi millionaires offering up false modesty and few genuine moments of clarity or honesty. As I watched Cristiano Ronaldo today accept the Balon D’Or and subsequently display a moment of honest emotion, often times hardly able to speak, I felt overwhelmed myself. He immediately lost the pretty boy patina, which countless people use to bring a case against him being a role model for the globe’s youth. Like it or not Cristiano Ronaldo represents an outstanding example not just for young people, but for everyone.

As the camera panned around the room, occasionally showing Irina (his girlfriend) or his mother overcome with emotion for him, it was hard for me not to get swept up in the romance of the whole thing. On stage was a boy from Madeira who came from very humble beginnings and had worked harder than anyone else to be on that podium, arguably it meant more to him than anyone else.

Even the most casual observer of the game can probably concede that Lionel Messi is probably the more naturally gifted player between the two, but Ronaldo has worked and worked in order to achieve the same level of superhuman brilliance which the little Argentine conjures up week in and week out.

The tears that flowed down Ronaldo’s face are ultimately relatable to every human being in the world who has ever wanted something more than life itself. Whether it be love or a career, we have all had that feeling of just wanting something so bad it hurts you, only to be denied time and time again. Many people will give up and say well maybe some things are not meant to be, maybe I’m just not good enough.

That feeling though of fighting against everything – and make no mistake about it, Cristiano has had to fight against a lot – is incomparable. Whether it be an overly critical media or Blatter himself reinforcing negative stereotypes, Cristiano up until a few months ago was most certainly not the people’s champion.

Encapsulated in those tears were relief and joy and a sheer overwhelming feeling of achievement, an emotion that anyone can relate to. Seeing those images makes me want to be better, makes me want to do better. Above all, that is what Cristiano personifies, no matter what you think about his fashion sense or his sometimes over the top attitude, he is an example of someone who is never comfortable, who always seeks to achieve more and is never fully satisfied until he has achieved his goals.

Watching Ronaldo slowly manage to get through his speech, trying his best and often failing to hold back the tears, even the most hard nosed cynic would be hard pressed to find fault in this moment. He was gracious and truly appreciative, it was a moment of sheer unadulterated joy and relief, in what is a generally sterile awards ceremony environment.

Cristiano is often crucified for being a little too self serving but if there is one thing we should all take from the man is his utter dedication to achieving perfection. The ability to drown out the naysayers and just do everything you have to do to achieve what you want is something he should be acknowledged and remembered for.

I can honestly say that I am truly happy for Cristiano in this moment, seeing those very real tears did more for me than any of the astonishing displays he put on over the course of 2013. Moments like this remind us why football is without a doubt the most beautiful sport in the world. Grande Cristiano, here’s to a prosperous 2014

http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/94323/the-tears-and-joy-of-cristiano-ronaldo/

Fully deserved. Congrats to him.

We love you too, bruh.

Ronaldo is a great role model for anyone who has something they want to achieve seem out of reach.

Say what you will about him, even if you aren't a fan club member, but he is as dedicated as they come and frankly it's refreshing to see a player who is truly and undeniably in it to be the best that he can be. Sure the riches and the fame are fantastic to have and I bet he'd agree with me but you can't fake the emotion Cristiano showed on that stage. It meant a lot to him and you have to respect that.

Shout out to Messi as well for being very chill and gracious in his comments, although it's probably easy being chill and gracious when you've won it four times lol, still kudos to him.

Commander

Poor Messi, his night went from bad to worse

Ronaldo winning this without jiopsi around is a bit boring tbh.

I'm a bit worried about jiopsi. Has anyone seen him? Someone should check the local Finland news.

https://i.imgur.com/W24OXdN.gif

99 shot power imo

http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3882/spain/2014/01/18/4552869/ronaldo-is-great-but-messi-is-more-creative-capello

Russia boss Fabio Capello believes that while both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are a "phenomenon", the Argentine is the more creative of the two.

Ronaldo beat Messi to the 2013 Ballon d'Or earlier this week but Capello feels the Barcelona ace still has a very slight edge on the Real Madrid superstar.

"These two are two phenomena," the Italian told MARCA. "They are different, though.

"Cristiano is a great player; so strong physically, so powerful. Messi has more creativity.

"Having either of these two players on your team is a guarantee that at any time you can change the game."

Messi's Barcelona currently lead La Liga on goal difference from surprise package Atletico Madrid, with Real just three points further back in third.

However, Capello is backing Los Blancos to end the season on top of the pile.

"I see Madrid as favourites to win the league," the former AC Milan boss revealed. "But we will see.

"The change of coach at Barcelona [Gerardo Martino for Tito Vilanova] has brought different things to the team.

"They play a little faster now. They are still as offensive and score a lot of goals, but I think the team is still adjusting to the coach.

"It will be an intense fight and will not be decided until the end, but I think Real Madrid will win.

"Analysing it, I think Madrid and Barca are more likely to go all the way in the title race but seeing the spirit that Atletico has makes me think they could fight right until the end too."

Meanwhile, Capello believes it imperative that Fifa decides against staging the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during the summer.

"You have to play in winter," he declared. "Given the temperatures in the summer, there is no choice.

"Mainly for players but also for fans who will travel there, so that they can enjoy the tournament more.

Another great goal by Godnaldo, no more words